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Names That Mean Famous

By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026

Names81

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Total Names81

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About this list

Names that mean famous or fame might inspire your child to seek the limelight or feel that they're famous without having to do anything at all. Famous is certainly an appropriate name meaning today.

Because names were coined hundreds or even thousands of years ago, the meaning of famous does not usually refer to "famous on Instagram." Instead, most names with famous in the meaning mean things like "famous ruler" and "famous warrior".

These names meaning famous are ordered by current popularity on Nameberry.

RELATED:

Names That Mean Fame or Fortune

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The names

Showing 1–20 of 81

Xiomara
Feminine variation of Guiomar, Spanish, Portuguese
"famous in battle"
The gorgeous and romantic name Xiomara popped into the Top 1000 from 2004-2011 after a contestant on America's Next Top Model increased interest in her rare name. Now Xiomara is back and more popular…
Rodrigo
Spanish and Portuguese variation of Roderick
"famous ruler"
Rhythmically appealing international spin on the stiff original.
Roland
German
"famous throughout the land"
Roland is a chivalrous old name made famous by the supposedly eight-foot-tall romantic hero and nephew of Charlemagne, celebrated in medieval poetry and song. It is more widely heard in the US now in…
Rudy
German, diminutive of Rudolph
"famous wolf"
Rudy is one of those names that has been consistently in the US Top 1000 since the early 20th century without ever becoming overwhelmingly popular. It peaked back in the 1930s, when it briefly…
Roger
German
"famous warrior"
In the World War II era, Roger had nothing but the most positive associations, actually used by military personnel to mean 'Received and understood'--or A-OK, and though it is now on extended…
Orlando
Italian variation of Roland
"famous throughout the land"
Orlando, the ornate Italianate twist on the dated Roland, with a literary heritage stretching back to Shakespeare and before, has appealing book-ended o's, and is open to combination with almost any…
Rogelio
Spanish
"famous spearman"
A Spanish variation of the name Roger meaning "famous spearman." Rogelio is popular among the Filipino and Argentine communities and could be a great alternative for international families looking…
Marissa
Variation of Maris or a combination of Maria + Louisa
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + famous battle"
Pretty feminissima name that never became as overused as cousin Melissa. The more streamlined Maris is a more modern sounding option. Namesakes include Marissa Mayer, the former CEO of Yahoo!. The…
Roderick
German
"famous ruler"
The aristocratic--if not haughty--Roderick was nevertheless consistently in the Top 1000, reaching as high as Number 221 in 1967, when it was not uncommon to run into a Rod or a Roddy. It's at a low…
Rui
Portuguese diminutive of Rodrigo
"famous ruler"
This charming mini name began life as a nickname for Rodrigo but has since taken on a life of its own, ranking as an independent name in Portugal, it’s country of origin. If you’re looking to honor a…
Rowe
Variation of Rowan or Rowena
"rowan tree, little redhead; white spear, famous friend"
Mini names beginning with R are a trend to watch for both sexes. Recently, celebrities have been loving names like Ren, Rue, and Ro(w). The four-letter spelling, complete with a silent E, makes Rowe…
Rudolph
German
"famous wolf"
Sure, he'd probably get a certain amount of red-nosed teasing around the holiday, but a boy named Rudolph could probably take it. Besides, he's got other, more distinguished namesakes -- the great…
Rudy
German, short form of Rudolph
"famous wolf"
Rudy hasn't yet enjoyed the comeback of cousin name Ruby, despite having been chosen by hip couple Sadie Frost and Jude Law, but it still could happen. Rudy has a lot going for it as a…
Rowena
Welsh
"white spear; famous friend; fame and joy"
A fabled storybook name via the heroine of Sir Walter Scott's novel Ivanhoe (1819), which featured a heroine called Rowena of Hargottstanstede, and also a Harry Potter name, as Rowena Ravenclaw,…
Marylou
English, combination of Mary and Lou
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + famous battle"
Truncated form of Marylouise. As two separate words, Mary Lou has popped up a number of times, as the title, for example, of two early feature films. There's also a Nickelodeon actress named Mary Lou…
Aloysius
Latin
"famous warrior"
This name is a classic example of an underused golden oldie that ticks so many boxes - unusual yet traditional, heaps of cute nicknames, a statement name that exudes retro cool. Aloysius is the Latin…
Xiamara
Feminine variation of Guiomar, Spanish, Portuguese
"famous in battle"
The longer form of Xia is more rhythmic but also more problematic.
Marisela
Spanish and Italian form of Maria
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + famous battle"
An elaboration of Marisa, a combination of Maria and Louisa. The meaning of Maria is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from…
Marisa
Italian and Spanish combination of Maria and Louisa
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + famous battle"
A name made famous by Marisas Berenson and Tomei, never became as saturated as its cousin Melissa, so still a feasible choice. Marisa is one of those Spanish and Italian names for girls that sounds…
Rollie
Diminutive of Roland, German
"famous throughout the land"
As its parent name Roland comes back into style (yep, it’s happening), could there be an uptick in baby Rollies? Certainly as a pet form.

Names That Mean Famous

About this list

The names

Xiomara

Rodrigo

Roland

Rudy

Roger

Orlando

Rogelio

Marissa

Roderick

Rui

Rowe

Rudolph

Rudy

Rowena

Marylou

Aloysius

Xiamara

Marisela

Marisa

Rollie